1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a rear view apparatus for vehicles, especially passenger cars, and bears a resemblance to periscopic viewing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Periscopic rear view apparatuses in themselves are known. Use in passenger cars, however, has taken place hardly or not at all, because the known appartuses have drawbacks attached to them. These drawbacks concern, among other things, the restricted horizontal angle of vision of the known periscope, consisting of a tubular housing containing an optical apparatus by which an upright rear view image is obtained by means of mirrors and/or prisms and/or lenses.
A drawback of enlarging the angle of vision by using convex or cylindrical mirrors and the like is that image reduction takes place, whereby distances to the rear can no longer be properly estimated, which can pose a threat to road safety. Enlarging the angle of vision by strongly widening the periscope raises the drawback of increasing air resistance of the periscope which rises above the car roof, while the large dimensions also hinder the fitting and positioning of the periscope tube. Apart from this, the high costs of the known apparatuses are also a consideration.